6 



ed to them, and the sturdy tripmen once 

 more got down to their hard work and 

 commenced their homeward voyage to 

 the Saskatchewan or Red River as the 

 case might be. The arrival home of these 

 boats with their precious cargoes was not 

 only a time of great rejoicing among the 

 voyageurs, as we have already shewn, 

 but it was a great event in the settlement. 

 Everybody knew that a quantity of nice 

 goods had arrived for the Hudson's Bay 

 Co. and the few general merchants, then 

 doing business, and everyone was anxious 

 to have a share of the good things before 

 they were all gone, as the supplies were 

 limited — decidedly limited if compared 

 with the stocks now imported by the 

 average merchant. It is true our wants 

 were not so great or so many as now, but 

 we were just as anxious to get the best 

 that was going then as are the people of 

 more recent times. The fashions were 

 not then quite so fickle or changeable, 

 and I was going to say not quite so 

 absurd or ridiculous in many instances, 

 but on second and calmer thoughts I will 

 not draw a comparison, as it might not 

 be in favor of the more modern styles, 

 and I have grave fears that I might incur 

 the severe displeasure of some of the fair 

 sex and bring down the wrath of others 

 on my devoted head. But I think I hear 

 some of them saying " Wliat do men 

 know about fashions, anyway?" We 

 meekl}' say "Nothing" : they are past 

 finding out and away and beyond the 

 comprehension of the average man. 



In the Hudson's Bay posts in the far 

 north there was alwaj'S an air of excite- 

 ment in the community, including the 

 Indians, a few days before New Year's, as 

 the Indians began to congregate at the 

 Fort, knowing that they would be partici- 

 pants in the festivities of the season. 



On New Year's morning, often before 

 daylight, the officers' quarters are visited 

 by all the employes of the company and 

 by the Indians, all supplied with guns of 

 every description. At a given signal 

 volley after volley was fired until the 

 officer made his appearance : after hand 

 shaking and exchange of greetings re- 

 freshments were served in the shape of 

 V tea, coffee and cake. 



At some posts it was customary for the 

 officer in charge, his clerks and em- 

 ployes, each with a train of dogs, if possi- 

 ble, to go for a drive. They generally 

 started quietly but on the return when 

 ever3'one was endeavoring to get the lead 

 the excitement was so intense that all 

 regard or respect of superiors was forgot- 

 ten, and each one with his whip cracking 



and yells to encourage the dogs, would 

 strive for first place. 



All previous records of a fir<^t class dog 

 fight were climaxed by the spectacle that 

 was presented sometimes, when some 75 

 or 100 dogs got into an entangled scuffle. 



A grand dinner and ball was given by 

 the officers in charge in the "Big House" 

 and everybody enjoyed themselves till 

 morning. 



In the winter months in the north the 

 days were so short that most of the 

 amusements were indoors, although some 

 of the keener sportsmen indulged in the 

 chase. When card placing became mo- 

 notonous a little concert was got up and 

 a pleasant hour was spent singing the 

 good old songs. 



As an instance of the wonderful adapt- 

 ability of man to his surroundings at 

 Fort Simpson and Fort Chippewayan 

 billiard tables were made ; the legs and 

 top were of spruce, the latter thoroughly 

 levelled with a spirit level. The cushions 

 and balls were of course imported. The 

 cues were of birch and the tips of old tan 

 leather carrying-straps and stuck on with 

 glue. I am told that these tables com- 

 pared very favorably with those now in 

 use. 



It may be surprising that in a country 

 so isolated there should be found a good 

 library but such there was at Fort Simp- 

 son, the centre of the Great McKenzie 

 district. This library was formed by 

 subscription from the officers and men 

 and by donations of books from the 

 Hudson's Bay officers well known in the 

 country. In the autumn of each year 

 the officer in charge of the different posts 

 gets a supply of books which are returned 

 the following year and a fresh supply 

 is obtained. This library was a great 

 boon and was very much appreciated. 



To attempt to describe the hardships, 

 difficulties and many privations, even to 

 starvation itself, endured by the devoted 

 officers and men of the Hudson's Bay 

 Co., in this unsettled land of wonderful 

 distances would only result in failure. 

 Their dangerous summer voyages and 

 the indescribable hardships of their long 

 winter trips on snowshoes, with their dog 

 trains, sleeping out in the snow, with 

 nothing but the canopy of heaven for a. 

 roof, with very scanty bedding and often 

 not enough food to satisfy the cravings 

 of their appetites we have often heard 

 about but we cannot describe. The in- 

 domitable courage and unfailing pluck of 

 these men is well known. In *^he midst 

 of greatest trials, even death, almost 

 certain death staring them in the face, 

 they would invariabl}' rise to the occasion 



